Shrub packing machine



Nov. 29, 1960 E. c. KILLMER 2,961,812

' SHRUB PACKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1958 54/94 C. K14 L MER Z2 7 AIME/V701? ZZZWW United States Patent SHRUB PACKING MACHINE Earl C. Killmer, 1700 Larpenteur Ave. W., St. Paul, Minn.

- Filed Dec. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 779,915

6 Claims. (Cl. 53-124) improved shrub root-packing machine of simple and inexpensive construction and operation.

.Another object of my invention is to provide a novel shrub root-packing machine facilitatingready and easy loading of the shrub roots'and packing material with a minimum of spillage and wastage of the packing material.

Still another object of my invention is to provide;a novel and improved shrub root-packing machine pipducing a shrub root package wherein the bottom end of the package is square across the bottom and is as tightly packed as any other portion of the package. l

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved and novel shrub root-packing machine which facilitates insertion of such a quantity of packing material having a substantially greater bulk when in loose condition than in packed condition and which machine will progressively compact the packing material around the roots as the package is formed so as to prevent the escape of substantially any moisture fromthe shrub roots.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a new shrub root-packing machine which is adapted to handle shrubs of many different sizes which facilitates either loose packing or tight packing of the roots and which prevents any damage whatsoever to the branches or stems or canes of the shrub being packed.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from, the following de cription made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the invention and taken on a plane as indicated at 22 in Fig. 1.

One form of the present invention is shown in the drawings and is described herein. The machine is indicated in general by numeral 10 and includes a supporting structure 11 having inclined angle irons 12 at the top thereof upon which is mounted a rigid and planar table 13 secured by means of a hinge 14 at the front end 13a of the table and to the angle irons 12 of the supporting structure, the rear end 13b of the table is mounted on a plurality of coil springs 15 which are anchored on the supporting structure, the rear end 13b of the table is movable to a limited extent downwardly upon application of substantial pressure to the table. It will be noted that the outer side 16 of the table is completely free and unobstructed. Adjacent the inner side 17 of the table is disposed an upright rigid plate 18 affixed as by welding (not shown) to the supporting structure and in parallel relation with the plate 18 is a second rigid plate 19, also affixed as by welding (not shown) to the supporting structure. The upright rigid plates 18 and 19 have guideways 20 formed therein which extend convergently in a rearward direction with the table and then along the intermediate and rear portion of the table, the guideways 20 extend parallel to the table, and the rear portions 20a of the guideways 20 are deflected upwardly to define lift portions adjacent the rear end of the table.

A roller 21, as long as the table is wide, is disposed above the table and is mounted on a shaft 22 which extends through the guideways 20 in the plates 18 and 19. Guideway-engaging bearings 23 are provided on the shaft 22 for engaging the edges of the guideways and to guide the shaft and roller in the predetermined fashion with respect to the table.

A flexible belt 24 is looped over the roller 21 and the front end portion 24a of the belt is adjustably afiixed by means of an adjustment bolt 25 and bracket 26 to the front end portion of the supporting structure. The rear portion 24b of the belt lies on the table 13 and is alfixed at 240 to the rear end of the table. The belt is of sufficient length as to define a shrub root and packing material-receiving loop 27 beneath the roller 21. It will be seen that when the roller is in its forwardmost position, the loop 27 opens upwardly and rearwardly with a wide mouth to facilitate ready and easy packing of the shrub roots and packing material into the looped portion of the belt.

It will be noted that the inner side 17 of the table 13 and the corresponding side of the belt, and also the corresponding end of the roller 21 are positioned close to the upright plate 18 so as to facilitate packing of the shrub roots and packing material against the portion 18a thereof which is in confronting relation with the end of the looped portion 27.

Means are provided for driving the roller rearwardly along the table, and in the form shown, such means include a mounting 28 for shaft 22 at a position midway between the plates 18 and 19 and the mounting or hearing 28 is suspended on a shank 28a from a slide bar 29 having a rack 30 on the upper surface thereof. The sidesof ,the slide bar 29 are slidably mounted in a pair of channeltudinally of the table.

In operation, the roller will be disposed as far forwardly as possible during the shrub root and packing materialloading operation, at which time, the packing material and shrub roots may be freely inserted in a downward direction into the looped portion 27 of the belt 24. It will be noted that the portion 18a of plate 18 prevents the packing material from falling out the rear end of the loop and the packing material may be packed quite tightly against the portion 18a so as to cause the bottom end of the package to be tightly packed. It Will also be noted that the downward inclination of the front end of the table also facilitates opening of the loop substantially wider and therefore the packing of the roots in packing material is made substantially easier. Furthermore, because the outer edge portion 16 of the table is completely free and unobstructed, there is no difiiculty at all in laying the shrub roots in the looped portion .27 in such a manner that the branches and tops of the shrub extend outwardly beyond the outer edge 16 of the table.

The crank handle 34 is then revolved, causing the rack 30 to move rearwardly and this causes the roller to be urged rearwardly along the table. The roller is guided in a downward direction as it moves along the table, and the rack 30 and bar 29 will also oscillate downwardly to a limited extent about the mounting on the shaft 33. The roller will revolve as it travels along the bottom side of the belt and the portion 27 will progressively move along the belt as the roller is moved rearwardly along the table. The looped portion 27 becomes progressively smaller as the roller 21 is moved downwardly toward the table and as the looped portion progressively moves toward the rear of the table, whereby to cause a substantial compacting of the packing material around the shrub roots. The sheet of paper or wrapping material which is laid upon the rear portion 24b of the belt will be wrapped around the outer periphery of the compacted packing material so that as the package approaches the rear end of the table, a cylindrical package which is tightly compressed is provided. When the roller approaches the rear end of the table, the uplifting portion a of the guideway causes uplifting of the roller off the table, whereupon the tightly packed root and packing material package is ejected off the rear end of the table to fall into the receiving pocket 36.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention which consists of the matter described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A machine for packing shrub roots and the like along with packing material into a cylindrical package, comprising a frame structure, a table on the frame structure and'having front and rear ends, the front end of the ta ble being inclined downwardly, a roller spaced above the front end of the table, means movably mounting the roller to pass above the table and toward the rear end thereof, guide means directing the roller downward toward the table then along the table during the rearward movement thereof, a belt looped over the roller and having a front end secured adjacent the front end of the table and having a rear end secured adjacent the rear end of the table, said belt lying on the table and defining an upwardly and rearwardly opening shrub root and packing-receiving loop, and means for moving the roller rearwardly of the table, whereby the downward inclination of the front end of the table causes the packing material placed on the belt to fall into the loop for ready and easy loading.

2. A machine for packing shrub roots along with packing material and the like into a cylindrical package, com prising a supporting structure, a table on the supporting structure and having a front end and a rear end the front end of the table being inclined downwardly, a roller disposed above the table with the rotation axis oriented crosswise of the table, a belt looped over the roller and lying on the table and having front and rear ends respec tively secured to the supporting structure adjacent the front and rear ends of the table, the belt defining a root and packing material-receiving loop beneath the roller, one side of the table being completely clear and unob structed, an upright rigid plate at the other side of the table adjacent the corresponding edge of the belt and in confronting relation with the end of the area defined by said loop so as to confine the shrub roots and packing material above the belt, mounting means for the roller and projecting endwise thereof adjacent said plate, said mounting means being movable rearwardly with respect to the table for permitting the roller to move rearwardly along the table, guiding means directing the roller downwardly toward the table during progressive movement of the roller rearwardly along the table, and means for driving said roller rearwardly along the table, whereby the shrub roots and packing material may be quickly and easily laid in said loop and packed against said plate to cause the bottom end of the package to be tightly compressed as the roller is moved along the table during which time damage to the branches of the shrub is positively prevented.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 and including a yieldable and resilient mounting for the rear end of the table to permit limited downward oscillation thereof as the compacted package is rolled along the belt.

4. The invention set forth in claim 2 wherein said table lies in a plane to facilitate ready and easy handling of the roots and to facilitate application of a wrapper in such a position on the belt to cause the wrapper to circumscribe the periphery of the package.

' 5. A machine for packing shrub roots and the like with a quantity of packing material, comprising a supporting structure, a table on the structure and having front and rizar ends the front end of the table being inclined downwardly, a roller above the front end of the table having the rotation axis thereof oriented crosswise of the table, means movably mounting the roller permitting movement ereof rearwardly along the table, guide means directing the roller downwardly into engagement with the table adjacent the front end thereof and said guide means also including a roller-lifting portion adjacent the rear end of the table to guide the roller upwardly off the table and release the compacted package of shrub roots and packing material, and means for driving the roller rearwardly along the table.

6. The invention set forth in claim 5 wherein the package-receiving pocket is provided beneath the rear end of the table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 436,559 Caswell Sept. 16, 1890 2,048,042 Wedge July 21, 1936 2,376,103 Wahl May 15, 1945 

